Enhancing Web Application Security with Kron PAM's Web Session Management

Web apps have become absolutely necessary for company operations in the fast-changing digital environment. However, managing user sessions within these applications presents significant security challenges. According to Verizon's 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, web application breaches accounted for 25% of all data breaches, with stolen passwords and vulnerabilities being the leading causes.

The Challenges of Web Session Management

Organizations frequently encounter several issues related to web session management:

• Unauthorized Access and Credential Exposure: Traditional login methods often require users to manually enter credentials, increasing the risk of exposure through phishing attacks or insecure storage practices. Once compromised, these credentials can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems. In 2024, cyberattacks using stolen or compromised credentials increased by 71% year-over-year, highlighting the severity of this issue.
• Privilege Abuse and Insider Threats: Without stringent controls, users with elevated privileges may intentionally or unintentionally misuse their access, leading to data leaks or system compromises. The absence of proper monitoring exacerbates this risk, making it challenging to detect and prevent malicious activities. Notably, 74% of all breaches in 2024 involved the human element, including privilege misuse and insider threats.
• Complexity of Traditional Access Methods: Managing access to multiple web applications often involves cumbersome processes, such as using jump servers or VPNs. These methods can introduce latency, complicate user workflows, and become potential points of failure or attack. The increasing complexity of security systems has been identified as a significant factor contributing to the rising costs of data breaches.
• Compliance and Auditing Challenges: Regulatory frameworks like GDPR and PCI DSS mandate strict controls over privileged access and require detailed audit logs. Without centralized session management, compiling comprehensive audit trails becomes labor-intensive and prone to errors, complicating compliance efforts. In 2024, organizations with high levels of security system complexity faced average data breach costs of $5.36 million, underscoring the financial impact of inadequate compliance measures.

Kron PAM's Web Session Management: A Comprehensive Solution

Kron PAM offers a robust web session management solution designed to effectively address these challenges:

• Seamless and Secure Access: Kron PAM enables automatic login to web applications without exposing user credentials. This approach minimizes the risk of credential theft and streamlines the user experience, enhancing both security and productivity. By eliminating the need for users to handle sensitive credentials directly, organizations can significantly reduce the attack surface associated with credential exposure.
• Granular Control Over User Actions: Administrators can define and enforce policies that restrict or allow specific operations within web applications, such as accessing particular pages or executing sensitive functions. This level of control ensures that users operate within their authorized boundaries, reducing the risk of privilege abuse. For instance, certain high-risk actions can be restricted to specific user groups or require additional authorization, thereby enhancing security protocols.
• Role-Based Authorization: By organizing users into groups with predefined access rights, Kron PAM simplifies the management of permissions. This structure ensures consistent enforcement of security policies across the organization and facilitates scalability as the user base grows. Role-based authorization also aids in quickly adapting to organizational changes, such as onboarding new employees or modifying roles.
• Direct Access Without Jump Servers: Eliminating the need for intermediary servers, Kron PAM allows users to connect directly to web applications. This not only reduces latency and potential points of failure but also simplifies the network architecture, enhancing overall security and performance. By streamlining the access process, organizations can achieve more efficient workflows and reduce the complexity associated with traditional access methods.
• Session Recording for Compliance and Auditing: Kron PAM provides the capability to record user sessions, offering a detailed audit trail of activities within web applications. These recordings are invaluable for forensic analysis, compliance reporting, and identifying suspicious behavior, thereby strengthening the organization's security posture. In the event of a security incident, session recordings can provide critical insights into user actions, facilitating rapid response and remediation.

By implementing Kron PAM's robust web session management, organizations can significantly strengthen their web application security, simplify compliance, and protect critical assets against emerging cybersecurity threats. Investing in secure session management today is crucial to ensure business continuity and resilience in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

You can contact us for information on how you can increase the security of web applications in your company.

*Written by Hakan Kıral. He is a Senior Product Owner at Kron.